Metamorphosis
by enunciiate
Summary: "Come on Blair," he urged her as he had for the past three months since he had landed in New York. "Have dinner with me. We could go anywhere you like and I promise to be an absolute gentleman." Post 3x22. Please R&R!
1. One

**A/N:** I am officially not on hiatus anymore. You are probably wondering why I am starting a new story when I still need to finish Death By Design, but I need to get into the groove of writing again before I do. That story means way too much to me for me to screw it up. The three central characters in this story are Blair, Chuck, and Jack. I have not decided who Blair will ultimately be with nor do I plan on telling you until the final chapter. These chapters are meant to be short and sweet and _expect_ time jumps. They are a crucial part to the structure of the story. Without further ado, here is the first chapter. Please review!

**One**

* * *

_August 2013_

"Come to see me off? How kind of you princess," he drawled, straightening his tie as he did so.

Blair rolled her eyes at him and answered, "Against my will I assure you. I was sent to do this by my boss."

It was the truth after all, albeit not the sole factor that had pushed her to show up at the airport this morning.

"Too bad," he said, a smirk upon his face. "I was hoping you were here to tell me that you had changed your mind."

She looked at him with disgust, a facial expression that she had perfected ever since she had known him.

"In your dreams," she hissed, although the tiny traitorous flicker in her eyes gave her away.

He noticed it. He had come to notice a lot of things about her. She was wavering, which meant that this was his opportunity to get what he wanted and he always got what he wanted.

"Every night darling," he answered, taking one step towards her.

He smiled when she didn't take a step back away from him in response. He was right. She _was_ here for him. She was just too proud to admit it.

"Come on Blair," he urged her as he had for the past three months since he had landed in New York. "Have dinner with me. We could go anywhere you like and I promise to be an absolute gentleman."

He would have said and done anything to get her to say yes.

"Ha!" Blair scoffed, trying to maintain her cool gaze on him. "You? A gentleman? Delusional, are we?"

He had to be to be asking her out to dinner, he mused to himself.

"Perhaps," he agreed, taking another step towards her. "But are _you_ not deluding yourself into thinking that you're here only because your boss told you to be?"

She held her breath at his closeness, but also because she was amazed at how well he had come to know her in those three months. He was the devil and she had always loathed him, but there was something there that genuinely intrigued her, something beneath the surface that she doubted anyone else had discovered and she wanted to know what it was.

"Dinner," she finally breathed after a moment of silence. "But it is not a date."

She almost fainted upon hearing her own words. She had just agreed to go out to dinner with him? The old her would have kicked her in the shin. Hard. But the new her? She was ready for this, had been for awhile. It had been three years since her last relationship and she was ready for this one.

"Great," he whispered, his smile victorious. "I come back in two weeks. Pick you up at eight?"

* * *

_August 2023_

"Excuse me sir. Can I get you anything?" a voice asked, interrupting his thoughts.

The memory of Blair vanished from his mind and he turned around slowly to face the bartender to show him exactly how pissed off he was that he had interrupted him. He did not like to be interrupted. _Ever._ Elizabeth had told him before that it was in the Bass blood and she was right.

"Sorry sir," the bartender apologized immediately upon seeing his angered expression.

He raised his hand to silence him, pardoning him after having calmed down.

"Forget about it," he reassured him, before finally giving him an answer. "How about a nice glass of water?"

Water. Here he was sitting at a bar asking for a glass of water. It scared him how much she affected him, how much she had changed him.

* * *

_October 2013_

"You need to stop drinking so much," she warned him sternly, snatching the glass from his hand. "Your body can only take so much toxic waste."

"What else am I supposed to drink when I'm stressed dear?" he challenged her, a twinkle in his eye.

"Water," she answered. "And you promised you would change for me when I agreed to be your girlfriend. No more alcohol. No more evil schemes. You promised."

She put her hands on her hips for emphasis, daring him to challenge her again. He was a smart man. He stood up, gave her kiss on the cheek before emptying his glass and filling it to the top with just plain old water.

* * *

_August 2023_

He smiled now at the memory. She had had an incredible power over him then as she did now. Five years after their divorce and she was still all he thought about. Well, her and Belle. He turned to look at the clock. Seven. The same time his flight had taken off all those years ago. Every year since the divorce, on the anniversary of the day she had finally said yes to dinner, he waited for her. She never showed up, but he had always hoped. He glanced at the clock on the wall once more. Five minutes past seven. He grabbed his bags and headed for the departure gate, his head hung low in final defeat. They weren't coming and he? Well, this time, he wasn't coming back.


	2. Two

**A/N:** You were not supposed to have known for sure who the he was in the first chapter. Sometimes, scenes in this story won't make sense on their own. Only with later scenes will you be able to figure them out. Thanks for your reviews and please, keep them coming!

**Two**

* * *

_December 2013_

"Come back to me," he whispered in her ear, as his hand slid down to caress her thigh.

She moaned, pretending not to have heard his plea.

"You're just with him to spite me."

He wanted to hear her say it, to convince himself that it was true.

She froze upon hearing his words. _No._ She pushed him off of her and slid off the bed, frantically buttoning her blouse as she did so.

"Where are you going?" Chuck asked calmly in comparison to her movements, confusion and frustration in his voice.

He had been chasing her relentlessly and he was so close to having her. _Please stay._

"No," Blair whispered as she grabbed her heels up off the floor.

"No what?" Chuck wondered, falling into step behind her, now more confused and frustrated than ever. "No _what_ Blair? What the hell are you talking about?"

She made a move for the door. His hand caught her wrist upon instinct, holding her in place. He needed an explanation. _Please don't leave me._

"No, you're wrong," Blair clarified for him, her head tilted slightly away from him as the tears threatened to fall. "You don't know anything about my relationship with..."

"_Don't say his name!_" Chuck shouted, grabbing her, his hot breath brushing ever so slightly against the nape of her neck.

_Don't say her name!_ It was all she needed to remember to break away from him then.

"Goodbye Chuck," she murmured, turning the doorknob, lingering in the threshold for a moment as if wanting him to stop her, wanting him to assure her that they could go back to the way they were.

He blinked, missed the opportunity, and so, she left.

* * *

_May 2013_

"So, who's the boss selling the company to?" Blair asked her colleague casually as she pressed the start button on the photocopy machine. "I'm surprised someone would even be interested in this sinking ship."

"_Not so loud_," Bernadette reprimanded her, although a giggle escaped from her cherry lips. "Anyway, I only got his last name."

There was an unnecessary pause.

"Well, spill," Blair urged her on, impatience in her eyes. "Preferably within the next ten seconds?"

"Jack Bass," the blonde clued her in with a wide smile. "I caught a glimpse of him before he walked into the boss's office. He is _fine_."

"Jack Bass," Blair whispered, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Jack Bass. _Jack Bass?_"

Puzzled, Bernadette repeated, "Yeah, Jack Bass. Do you know him or something?"

"_Know_ him?" Blair scoffed as she snapped out of her reverie and continued to retrieve the documents from the machine. "You have _no_ idea Bernadette. Stay away from him. None of the Bass men are any good. Trust me."

The girl merely nodded in response, sensing that the warning came from personal experience.

"You wound me Blair," Jack suddenly spoke up from behind them, interrupting their conversation.

She refused to turn around and face him. _How long had he been standing there?_

"Come on Blair," he continued, taking a step closer towards her. "Was I not a gentleman during our last encounter?"

Her shoulders visibly tensed at his words. Bernadette, unable to handle the immense pressure that was engulfing the room excused herself, nodding at Blair to let her know that she would be right outside if she needed her.

"Still a scheming asshole?" Blair mused, finally turning around to face him just as Bernadette left the room.

She stared him down only to have him return the sentiment. Damn! She had been hoping to intimidate him. _As if._

"Last I recall, my dear nephew was the scheming asshole," he answered her smugly. "Still not over it Blair?"

She remained silent, her hard stare wavering as the memory of Chuck's betrayal came back to haunt her.

"I've moved on," Blair lied. "And so has he. So, it seems to me like you're the only one who needs to get over it."

She attempted to whisk past him then, but he quickly sidestepped to block her path.

"Aw, you _do_ care," he mocked her, a twinkle in his eye and his hand on his heart.

_You don't have a heart_, she thought, observing him.

"Jackass," she muttered instead as she tried to walk past him again, but to no avail.

"Flattery, darling, will get you nowhere," Jack responded, playing along before boldly suggesting, "Have dinner with me tonight."

Her glare had become so intense now that he could almost feel her heat on his skin.

"You should really keep me happy you know or your boss could very well lose this company," he added, hoping to persuade her into spending the evening with him. "I am probably the only one who's willing to save this sinking ship. Your words I believe."

She pushed him away. This time, he did not try to stop her.

"Not in this lifetime," she hissed before walking away from him, head held high with pride.

Jack chuckled in amusement as she left. _Let the games begin._ Except this once, he was playing for himself and he _always_ played to win.


	3. Three

**A/N:** My summer course is finally over, so expect much more frequent updates from now on. Also, I know how I always write for Chuck and Blair and Nate and Serena, but do not assume that those two couples will be endgame for this story. Review?

**Three**

* * *

_December 2021_

"Daddy!" Belle shouted with delight as she ran into his waiting arms.

He picked her up and twirled her around, placing a big kiss on her cheek before setting her down again on the ground.

"Look what daddy got you," he said, signaling his assistant to bring forth the bouquet of yellow lollipops he had prepared for her special day. "Happy birthday princess."

"You remembered!" Belle squealed happily, reaching out eagerly for her birthday gift.

He smiled before playing along, "Of course. Have I ever forgotten?"

Belle shook her head 'no' just as her kindergarten teacher, Ms. Huntington, came over to join them, an anxious look upon her face.

"Mr. Bass," she whispered, glancing behind her nervously as Ms. Waldorf was about to arrive. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. If Ms. Waldorf sees you here, she'll hold _me_ responsible."

He nodded grimly in understanding, kneeling down in front of his daughter to say goodbye.

"Princess, daddy needs to go now," he told her, holding her close. "You be a good girl now and what do we tell mommy if she asks you who gave you those lollipops?"

"Auntie Serena did," Belle answered as always, hugging him back.

_Secretly, Serena was rooting for him._

"That's my girl," he murmured proudly into her soft curls before promptly leaving the playground.

He stood there in the shadows of the outskirts, however, waiting for _her_ to show up, his assistant not far behind. Moments later, she did.

"Oh sweetie," Blair commented as she gave Belle a twirl. "Did you miss mommy as much as she missed you?"

A kiss on the cheek and a nod.

"And _those_ are beautiful. Who gave those to you?"

Belle turned to look in his direction for a split second before turning back to her mother.

"Auntie Serena," she repeated just as she should.

"Well, you better say thank you when you see Auntie Serena at your party tonight," Blair reminded her as they walked hand in hand towards the waiting limo.

He stood there shivering in the cold as he watched the vehicle pull away. Only when his own limo pulled up did he snap out of his reverie.

"Fight for them," Janice spoke up from beside him, fire in her eyes.

"I have been," he assured her, looking out the window to avoid eye contact with his assistant. "Every year. You _know_ that."

Sure she did. After all, _she_ was the one who booked three tickets to France every year even though only _one_ ticket was ever used.

"Well, try harder," she finished in finality, finally causing him to look at her with irritation.

_She_, however, was now looking out the window.

_He should fire her for not minding her own damn business_, he mused as the limo pulled away from the curb.

* * *

_May 2010_

"Why would you do something like that Chuck?" Serena questioned, arms crossed, demanding an answer.

"_I don't know ok?_" he stressed as he raised the hospital bed to a more upright position. "I thought we were done for good! I wanted to die! Jenny Humphrey was just _there_! I just...I don't..."

"Fight for her," Serena interrupted him, done with his excuses. "If you really love her, then no more excuses Chuck. Stop thinking about what happened and start thinking about how things could be."

"Does she know?" he asked, avoiding her advice.

Serena rolled her eyes at his evasiveness, but answered him.

"About you being shot?" she voiced. "No, not yet."

"Good," he whispered, content with her response. "I don't want her to know...about any of it."

"Why not?" Serena wondered, glancing at the recovered velvet box on the side table.

The crooks had run into a police officer during their "stealth" getaway.

"Because when she forgives me, I want to know that she did it because she wants to, not because I got shot trying to save the ring or whatever," he explained as he reached over for the forever that would always be hers.

"I understand," Serena assured him just as Lily, Rufus, and Eric bustled into the room to see how he was doing.

She excused herself while Chuck assured everyone that he was just fine, bumping into the nurse along the way, who had just found Chuck's missing cell phone. It had fallen out of his pocket earlier as they wheeled him into surgery.

"I'll take that for him," Serena said, not wanting to disturb the family moment.

The nurse shrugged, handed the phone to her, and took her position again behind the main desk.

_One New Message from Nate Archibald_

_This could be important_, she thought, glancing around to make sure no one was watching her.

Serena ventured down the hall until she was well away from the room and keyed in his password to retrieve the message. After all, Chuck _had_ given it to her for emergencies.

_Hey man. I heard you were shot. I tried to find out how you were doing, but nobody is answering their phones._

She glanced at her own phone. _12 missed calls._ The message continued.

_Anyway, I hope you're ok...We...need to talk about a few things when we get to talking…Oh. My train just arrived. Call you when I get to where I'm going. Bye._

_End of Message. To listen to this message again, press... _

Serena cut off the voice recording as she tried to make sense of what she had just heard. What things did Nate have to discuss with Chuck and most importantly, where was he going? And by train? One thing was certain. She intended to find out.


	4. Four

**A/N:** Thoughts?

**Four**

* * *

_May 2010_

Nate got out of the cab, motioning for the driver to stay where he was. He quickly made his way to the door and rang the bell, shaking some stray rain droplets off of his hair as he did so. Footsteps. And then...

"Nate?" Jenny questioned, appalled, holding the edge of the door as if preparing to slam it in his face at any moment.

Her eyes were wide with...shock? Curiosity? Happiness? He wasn't sure.

"What are you doing here?"

Her question brought him back to Earth.

"I came to see how you were doing," he stuttered slightly, his heart sinking as he watched her avert her gaze to the doorknob.

This time, he knew the feeling coursing through her veins – shame.

"Who told you?" Jenny murmured, unable to look him in the eyes still.

"Vanessa," he answered uncertainly, not wanting to get her into any trouble with Jenny. "Well, _Dan_ told her because he thought she would know how to console you, you know? And then, _she_ thought _I_ would know how to..."

_Stop rambling, idiot._

"I'm fine Nate," she assured him, her voice firm, but emotionless. "Just go."

"Jenny..." he started, not knowing what to say to her or rather, not knowing where to begin.

Silence.

"Look Nate," she spoke up after a moment, starting to shut the front door.

"Thanks for coming here to check up on me, but you didn't have to. What happened between...Well, it was a mutual mistake, alright? I just...don't want to talk about it right now...or ever. Just go back. Leave."

He held his breath, wanting to reach out to her before deciding otherwise.

"Come with me," he whispered, planning to deny he had said anything at all was she to reject him.

She lifted her eyes to meet his upon hearing his soft-spoken request.

"Why?"

He drew a blank to her question. Frankly, he wasn't sure what he was even doing on her doorstep this late at night. In fact, why had he even boarded that train to Hudson without so much as a second thought? All he knew at the time was that he wanted to be there for her. He had always had an inclination to protect her – from everything.

Jenny sighed. Slight Anger? Sadness? Disappointment? He wasn't sure.

She cleared her throat and then, continued, "I'm not going back Nate. Ever. I'm starting over here..."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she put up a finger to stop him. She rambled on.

"...without _anyone_ from the Upper East Side and that includes you. I'm sorry."

She refused to wait for him to respond, promptly closing the door after she had made her point. He chose not to take her harsh words to heart and waited on the other side of the wooden barrier, waiting for her return.

Two minutes. Five minutes. _Twenty minutes._

He turned finally, defeated, and returned to the cab. The rain was pounding down hard on him now, making him wish he had remembered to pack an umbrella in his rush to find her. He took one last long look back at her building before climbing into the vehicle.

"You want to go back to the train station?" the driver asked him, breaking into his thoughts.

_He had seen and heard everything._

"No," he answered after a moment of pondering. "Take me to the nearest hotel."

She watched him pull away from the curb from her bedroom window, blinking back the tears as she did so. She needed more than anything for someone to hold her and tell her everything would be ok – someone who _wasn't_ her mother, but it was better this way. After all, _nobody_ loved her.

* * *

_May 2015_

"Whatever spell you have her under, break it," he begged as he got down on his knees. "_Please._"

Jack looked down at his nephew then, his eyes unreadable. In the past, he would have given anything to have Chuck get down on his knees like this and beg him for something – anything, but now, things were different. They were both in love with the same woman and this time around, he was playing this game for himself – for his own happiness.

"Get up Chuck," he told him, making a grab for his elbow to help him up.

Chuck pushed him away. He was drunk, very drunk.

"I'm _not_ getting up until you promise me you'll stay out of her life!" Chuck spat, looking up at him with disdain. "I will give you _anything_! You can have _everything_ I own! _Please._ Just give me _her_!"

_He knew what he was insinuating from the tone of his voice._

"If you think I'm blackmailing her into this marriage, then you're sorely mistaken," Jack warned him, making a motion to help him up again. "You think _I_ could force Blair into marrying me if that were not her true desire?"

Chuck laughed.

"Good one," he spoke up, holding onto Jack's arm as if he needed the extra support from laughing so hard.

"I'm not kidding," Jack responded calmly, trying hard to be patient with his nephew. "So I find it funny how _you_ find the truth so damn funny."

The laughter stopped. Hard eyes met hard eyes before one of them finally snapped.

"No," Chuck whispered, unable to believe what Jack was telling him.

All along Blair had been with Jack to spite him. He was sure of it. She hated Jack as much as he did. She knew that being with him would drive him insane and marrying him? He'd be certified dead within seconds of the ceremony. She was using Jack to get to him. He was sure of it.

_No, he wasn't._

"I'm telling you the truth Chuck," Jack finished as he stood to leave the hotel room. "She said yes to my proposal at her own freewill. Ask her yourself."

He said nothing and remained where he was, kneeling on the carpeted floor of the room.

Two minutes. Five minutes. _Twenty minutes._

Chuck finally turned to look at the closed door. Jack's words were getting to him. _God damn it!_


	5. Five

**A/N:** I may not reply to every single review, but I assure you I read and appreciate all of them. Every review puts a smile on my face. Thank you.

**Five**

* * *

_December 2014_

"Blair! Wait!" he shouted, running after her as she sped towards the elevator. "Please. Let me explain."

She ignored him, swallowing all feelings of betrayal as she jabbed at the elevator button with all of her might. He grabbed her elbow just as she was about to enter the elevator, spinning her around and forbidding her from leaving. Her intense glare was nothing if not penetrating...and well, intimidating.

"She's not who you think she is," he breathed unevenly, looking at her earnestly in hopes that she would believe him.

"You must really think I'm stupid Jack," she spat, her voice venomous. "You promised me you would be faithful and yet, here you are having a candlelit dinner and dancing with another woman. You even gave her goddamn flowers! Did you book a room too? You're so _freaking _predictable!"

"You're pretty freaking predictable too!" he shot back, slightly pissed off that she didn't trust him. "You jump to conclusions all the time and you're _always _wrong."

Her glare intensified (if that were even possible).

"I was just…" he started, deciding to relieve the tension building between them. "I thought you were in…"

"Paris?" she filled in for him, hands on her hips now as she watched him, lips pursed. "Well, you thought wrong. I cut my business trip short and came back a day early. I wanted to be with _you _on Christmas Eve. Apparently, the feeling _isn't_ mutual. _God! I want to smack you right now!_"

"_It was just a test run!_" he shouted finally, trying to get her to shut up, both of them ignoring the small crowd that had slowly gathered around them.

"A what?" she clarified, calming down slightly at his words, mostly because she was curious.

"All of that stuff..."

He motioned in the general direction of the restaurant. Margaret had already left the building.

"...the candlelit dinner, the dancing, the flowers, that was all supposed to be for you," he explained, exasperated. "I was really nervous about tomorrow and Margaret, who is _only _an old friend of mine, suggested that I do a test run on her. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

He shrugged and she laughed, much to his surprise.

"You…" she began, unable to stop smiling. "_You _were nervous over something. What could the great Jack Bass possibly be nervous over?"

A pause.

"What the heck," he sighed in defeat as he got down on his knee, reaching into his pocket for the ring that he chosen especially for her. "This is one day earlier than planned, but I suppose it's slightly less cheesy that way. Blair, will you marry me?"

Gasps were heard all around. She was sure one of them was hers.

"What?" she whispered, now very much aware of the people around them as she glanced around.

"Will you marry me?" he repeated with more confidence this time, giving her a moment to absorb the shock of what he was doing.

_God._ He was on his knees for a _woman_. His brother was probably laughing in his grave right now. No, he definitely was.

"Yes," she finally answered as he breathed a sigh of relief at her response.

He picked her up and gave her a twirl as their audience applauded – very loudly. Blair beamed as she hung onto him. Never in a million years would she have predicted that this was the man she would be saying yes to and yet, she had never been happier. Through all of the excitement, neither of them noticed the figure lurking in the shadows. In that very moment, two hearts had been joined and one had been irreparably broken.

_

* * *

_

_January 2013_

"Chuck Bass?" called a voice as he left the hotel that morning.

He whirled around to find himself face to face with Vanessa Abrams. _Great._ Just the person he wanted to see.

"Nice to see you too," she responded sarcastically to the stern look on his face.

"Long night," he excused himself, walking casually towards her. "How have you been?"

There was no reason for them not to be civil with each other. They were adults now.

"Busy," she answered with a shrug. "I've been…"

"Expanding your horizons," he finished for her. "I know."

She nodded.

"I managed to find a job in New York, so I thought I'd come back to where it all started, you know? I miss it here…even you," she commented, all smiles.

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She laughed.

"Alright," she corrected herself, resting her hand for a moment lightly on his arm. "Not really, but uh yeah..."

"Yeah..."

Silence.

More silence.

"Well," she exclaimed abruptly, breaking the silence, wringing her hands together for a split second as she did so. "This has been sufficiently awkward I guess. I'm actually on my way to see Dan, so I'll just leave you to your...evidently pleasant morning. See you."

He chuckled slightly as he nodded, agreeing to her proposal, turning around to head off into the opposite direction.

"Hey," she stopped him uncertainly, not knowing whether of not it was her place to say what she was about to say.

He waited for her final words.

"If you're truly meant to be together, she'll come back to you eventually."

Before he could tell her how his nonexistent relationship between Blair and him was none of her business, she climbed into her cab, leaving him with his thoughts.

_Honestly, who the hell did Vanessa Abrams think she was?_


	6. Six

**A/N:** I will be on vacation for the next two months, which means that updates are not guaranteed. I started this story knowing which couples I wanted to end up together, but now, I'm not so sure anymore. Some reader opinions would be nice!

**Six**

* * *

_June 2010_

"Charles?" Lily questioned as she knocked lightly on his bedroom door. "I'm coming in."

She opened the door very cautiously and peered in to find him still in bed. He had been unwilling to leave his bedroom for a little over a week now and she was beyond worried. She would have been more relieved if he had fallen back into his womanizing ways. Seeing him too depressed to even be the person he was before Blair made her heart ache for her step-son.

"I'm not coming out for breakfast," Chuck answered as he had every morning she knocked on his door for the past week. "Just go."

Lily ignored him and walked in, breakfast tray in hand as usual. She set breakfast down in front of him and sat on the edge of his bed, unmoving. He stared at her, but she did not lower her gaze. He sighed and finally gave in, taking a bite out of his pancakes. After a moment, Lily spoke.

"Charles, I'm worried about you," she started, looking at him with concern. "You've been moping for over a week now. What do you plan to do? Live in your bedroom for the rest of your life? What kind of life is that?"

"One I deserve after the way I hurt Blair," he responded, his voice monotonous as he did so.

"Look," Lily tried to reason with him. "I completely understand how upset you are over this, but you need to give her space."

"I apologized," he told her, his emotions starting to reveal themselves. "She didn't even say anything. She just walked away from me. I would have rather she hit me or anything. I've never seen her so unresponsive. I even ended up telling her why I landed in the hospital that night. I was so desperate for her to come back to me even if out of pity. Do you know how pathetic that is?"

"Charles, you can..."

"No! I can't fix this! Blair and I are over! She's never coming back to me! I screwed up!" Chuck shouted, his head in his hands, wanting Lily to just leave him in peace.

"Maybe," Lily agreed. "But you're not perfect and Blair knew that when she fell in love with you. She loves you for you and eventually, she'll forgive you. You just need to want her forgiveness enough. Do you think you've done everything possible to get her back? She is probably feeling as bad about this as you are. Knowing Blair, she feels somewhat responsible for what happened to you. Maybe…"

She trailed off, not knowing what else to say nor did he speak up, but from the look on his face, Lily could tell that she had gotten her message across. She stood up to leave then, her hand reaching for the doorknob.

"Thank you," he whispered.

She barely heard it. Giving him one last encouraging smile, she left the room. And Chuck? He finally found the strength to piece himself back together. It was the only way to piece _her_ back together; to piece _them _back together.

* * *

_May 2016_

"Are you sure we should go to the wedding?" Jenny asked, her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Nate answered. "I mean, Blair wants us there."

"What about...?" she started to wonder, not needing to finish her question as Nate knew exactly what she was about to ask.

"It's been years," Nate reminded her as he changed the channel. "I think Blair's let go of the past. She's marrying Jack Bass for crying out loud."

"I guess," Jenny sighed, still full of regret for what had happened that night years ago.

Silence.

"Do you think Chuck will show up?" she wondered again, brimming with curiosity and worry. "Crash the wedding I mean?"

Nate faced her and shook his head, reluctant as he was to do so.

"You didn't see how hard he took..." Nate started before stopping himself from giving too much away.

He geared his attention back towards his show as Jenny reached for the remote. She pressed mute before making him look at her.

"Tell me Nate," she warned him, daring him to cross her.

Nate sighed before finally giving in. He always gave in when it came to Jenny.

"After Chuck found out about the engagement, he went to find Jack..."

He hesitated.

"Go on."

"He actually knelt down in front of Jack and begged him to give Blair back to him."

"Oh my God," Jenny breathed, unable to picture Chuck doing such a thing.

"Yeah," Nate agreed with her reaction. "Well, Jack assured him Blair was marrying him because she loved him; that he wasn't blackmailing her or anything."

"And?"

"Well, Chuck went to confront Blair about it and she confirmed everything Jack had said," Nate finished.

"That's why he left," Jenny said, finally putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "It's been a year though. So, do you _think _he won't come back for the wedding? Or are you certain he won't? Have you been in contact with him?"

"No one really has, but he might. You never know. I imagine he has truly given up on her though," Nate explained, pulling Jenny closer. "It's been a year and he's been…"

Jenny just nodded against him, but she couldn't stop thinking about Chuck and Blair. Would Blair ever realize who she was meant to be with? After all, if Chuck and Blair couldn't make it, what chance in hell did she and Nate have of getting their happily ever after?

* * *

_May 2015_

She held the note in her hands, her emotions in check.

_**Waldorf,**_

_**I'm finally letting you go.**_

"Something important?" Jack asked, noticing her blank expression. "Because the florist wants to know which arrangement you want for the centerpieces at the reception? Frankly, they both look the same to me."

She snapped out of her reverie, crumpled the note in her hand, and pocketed it. Somehow, she could not bring herself to throw it away.

"That one," she answered her fiancé, pointing to the lovely arrangement of lilies that their florist had come up with.

Goodbye, Chuck, she murmured as she seated herself next to Jack.

And this time, she truly meant it.


	7. Seven

**A/N:** I had an overwhelming number of responses after I posted the last chapter both in reviews and in private messages. Some wanted Blair to end up with Chuck and others with Jack. I am not about to give the story away, but I have since tweaked the original ending I had in mind for the story. Whether you are rooting for Chuck and Blair or Jack and Blair, I think you will appreciate my decision. There is quite a journey until we get there though and you will most likely be shocked along the way, but I hope you will stick with me until the end. After all, are happy endings not worth waiting for?

Seven

* * *

_May 2010_

"So, how are things with you?" Nate wondered casually, holding the phone to his ear as he opened the fridge door to get a bottle of beer.

He was glad they were friends again.

"Fine. I guess," Dan answered noncommittally, falling back onto the couch with a sigh.

He rolled his eyes at his answer as he took a sip of his cold beverage.

"I meant with Vanessa," Nate clarified, emphasizing every word.

Silence.

"Well," Dan started, taking a pause in between his words. "We talked. We fought. And then, she dumped me. End of story."

Nate chuckled.

"So, the usual three steps, huh?" he commented, trying to lighten the mood.

_Fail._

"Look," Nate started after a while, not knowing what to say to make things better, since technically, he had played a big part in their break up. "I _am_ really sorry she broke things off with you man. I had no right to go and tell her anything about anything. I was just upset with you and Serena at the time and I..."

Dan shrugged before realizing that Nate would not be able to see him do so.

"It was all for the best in the end," Dan explained to him and he truly did believe so. "I think Vanessa and I are better off as friends anyway. She thought so too, which is why she decided to end things between us. We're still best friends though, so no worries."

_No. She dumped you because she knows you're still in love with Serena (and because Georgina is going to be having your baby)._

"Are you still in love with Serena then?" Nate clarified, wanting to convince himself at the same time that he was alright with the fact that he might be.

_Yes._

"I think," Dan decided to answer him honestly. "I mean, I do, but I don't want to upset anyone, you know? Besides, Serena might not even feel the same way about me – not anymore at least."

"True," Nate mused, deep in thought. "If it make you feel any better, I don't think it bothers me."

"As glad as I am to hear it," Dan began, eyebrows raised. "Why is it that it doesn't bother you? I mean, you two have broken up for only how long?"

Silence – this time on Nate's part.

"_No!_" Dan exclaimed, jumping off the couch into a standing position. "Is there someone else _already_? Where _are_ you anyway?"

"I...I'm with Jenny," Nate finally answered.

"Her last name better not be Humphrey or I swear..."

He trailed off, slight anger boiling inside of him.

"Yes, but don't get mad alright? I'm serious about her this time around. Besides, I'm not even _with _her yet. In fact, she's barely acknowledged my existence since I arrived."

A very long pause.

"I'm trusting you Nate," Dan spoke up finally, giving in. "After what happened…"

"Yeah, I know," he assured him, letting him know he could trust him.

"I guess we're both having girl problems now, huh?" Dan added with a grin.

Nate laughed.

"Some bigger than others," he teased, setting the bottle down on the coffee table. "I mean, the spawn of Satan isn't pregnant with _my _child, you know."

"Touché," Dan grimaced, thinking about the currently pregnant Georgina Sparks. "Touché."

* * *

_August 2013_

Blair twittered nervously at the entrance of the restaurant. What the hell was she thinking agreeing to go to dinner with Jack Bass of all people? If only Gossip Girl could see her now...

"Do you have a reservation?" a voice interrupted her thoughts, eyebrows raised.

"Uh, yes," Blair answered quickly, a rosy color in her cheeks. "Under Mr. Jack Bass I believe?"

He smiled and gestured her towards the table with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, of course. Right this way Miss Waldorf."

One step. Another. And then, another. _Whoosh!_

"I'm terribly sorry. I..." the person who had bumped into her started.

Their eyes met and Blair gasped. My God. _Seriously! _Of all the restaurants in Manhattan, Chuck just had to be in this one?

"Blair," Chuck whispered before composing himself, repeating her name in a more indifferent manner. "Blair, what are you doing here?"

_Lie to him._

"I..."

It was then that she noticed the blonde by his side. She clung on to him like a child does his mother when she drops him off for his first day of school. _Disgusting._ Did she have no shame? Screw sparing his feelings. When had he ever spared hers?

"I'm actually here to have dinner with..."

"Me," Jack interrupted her stone cold voice as he moved by her side. "Nice to see you Chuck."

"Oh right," Chuck said with a forced smile, his jaw evidently clenched. "You two are working at the same company now, aren't you? With Jack at the helm now though, I should probably expect the company to crash and burn sometime soon, yes?"

Cherie giggled at his words, while Blair prepared her retort. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jack beat her to the punch.

"Well, some of us prefer _people _to _buildings_, dear nephew," Jack took a jab at him, observing both him and Blair to gauge their reactions.

Blair remained calm and nonchalant, while Chuck looked like he was about to throw a punch at his uncle lest someone hold him back.

_Stop this. Now!_

"Um, Jack, I'm getting kind of hungry..."

"Oh, of course," he answered, moving her towards their table. "Enjoy your date."

"You too!" Cherie shouted back with (of course) another giggle before leading Chuck to their table.

Blair and Chuck, however, both remained silent, glancing at each other with unreadable expressions upon their faces. She looked away a split second later and he? Well, he followed the woman who would keep him company for the night and for that night only. She would never mean anything more to him than just a cure for his loneliness. They never did.


	8. Eight

**A/N:** I apologize that this chapter is late. There has been a lot of family drama that I have had to deal with recently. Trust me. The shit hit the fan. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next one will be much lighter. I promise.

**Eight**

* * *

_July 2010_

He drowned her voice out as he stared off into the distance. She had lied to him. The baby was not his, but neither mother nor child deserved to die this way. She was young and the small child never even got to take his first breath. Although he would never understand something like this from personal experience, he now knew how hard it must have been for Chuck to think that he had killed his own mother. Then again, at least Chuck himself had lived.

"_I did my best," the doctor revealed, although it wouldn't change the results. "We rarely encounter a complication like this during a pregnancy, but when we do, there's..."_

"_Both of them?" was all he could whisper._

_He remembered the doctor nod in response to his question, but after that, everything had been a blur._

"...and although she has left us, Georgina will always be in our hearts."

Silence. Then, people stood up to leave.

A familiar hand over his broke his sombre thoughts. _Serena._ She had been there for him through all of this. Nothing romantic had developed between them since all of this Georgina drama, but theirs was a love that was often unspoken.

"What are you thinking?" Serena spoke up softly beside him, her eyes filled with worry and concern.

"I just...Neither of them deserved this, you know?" he told her honestly.

Serena nodded.

"Do you even think that the _real_ father knows about any of this?" she suddenly questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Dan shrugged.

"I doubt Georgina ever told him. She was always so convinced that _I_ was the father. Besides, it's probably better that he doesn't know. I personally don't think I could take the news whether I loved Georgina and the baby or not."

"He didn't love _her_," a voice interrupted their conversation. "It was more like rebound sex for both of them, but he would have done anything for that child."

"And you know this how Carter?" Dan wondered, the wheels beginning to turn inside his head.

"Georgina had a very small social circle," Carter explained quickly. "She told me who the real father was."

_Me._

"And he abandoned them?" Dan pried, now slightly furious on their behalf.

_There it is. The holier-than-thou Humphrey attitude._

"He didn't have a choice," came his answer finally. "He wanted to take responsibility, but she was adamant about wanting _you_ to be the father of her child."

Carter gave them a sad smile, his emotions otherwise unreadable.

"She ran away, refused to answer any of his calls...I think you both get the picture," he finished.

Serena and Dan nodded, glancing at one another, quizzical looks upon their faces. Something was off about Carter today, but they decided it was best not to question it. They bade him farewell as their limo arrived, but he did not return the favour, staring off into the distance. He stood there for what seemed like hours, people bustling around him to leave. When he was finally alone, he knelt beside the ground where they lay.

Silence. Then, tears. Yet, as tragic as the event itself, no one would ever know why.

* * *

_March 2017_

"_Seriously Chuck!" she screamed in between contagious giggles. "Stop it! You know I'm ticklish."_

"_All the more reason to use your weakness against you Waldorf," he teased, though he did as he was told._

"_Speaking of weaknesses..." she trailed off, a wicked smile on her lips, her hand inches away from his groin._

_God help him._

"_...I think I should exploit yours," she finished, his smirk now matching her own._

_Chuck and Blair. Blair and Chuck. Always._

"Blair!" Jack shouted, interrupting her memories. "I'm home!"

She checked herself one last time in the mirror, glanced around the room to make sure everything was in place before waltzing down the stairs to meet him.

"How was your business trip?" she asked him, her voice uneven as the guilt was already starting to eat away at her. "I missed you."

Jack smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Stressful as always," he responded afterward, heading towards their bedroom. "Listen, I'm going to take a shower and then I need to head off to work again. When are you meeting your mother?"

_God. What had she been thinking last night?_

"Not for another hour or two," she answered, still stumbling slightly over her words.

She took a breath and kept her smile in place.

He nodded and assured her, "I made reservations for tonight at that restaurant you love and I promise you will have my undivided attention, alright?"

It was her turn to nod. Jack had changed so much about himself, strived to be a better man just to be with her and what had she done for him in return? Her. His nephew. _In their bed._

"_One night, Blair," he whispered. "Just one night to prove that I truly mean nothing to you. One night."_

Everything after that moment had been a blur. All she had said to him in the morning were two words that she regretted the moment they had left her mouth.

_Get out._

She was taking her revenge too far as she sometimes did with her schemes. Chuck had paid for what he had done to her awhile ago. Deep down, she had already forgiven him, but she had no idea how to take control of the situation that now had a life of its own. She didn't plan to fall for Jack nor did she plan to make Chuck suffer for this long. So the biggest question of all remained. Why was she stringing Chuck along? She knew the answer.

_Because even though you've fallen for Jack, you will never ever fall out of love with Chuck._

Thinking back to her rash decision last night, she was disgusted with herself. It was time for a new plan, one that would entail an apology and a confession, one that would make the new and improved Blair Waldorf proud.


	9. Nine

**A/N:** Eric and Elliot or Eric and Jonathan? Oh and Chuck and Blair are _so_ not over yet.

**Nine**

_

* * *

_

_June 2010_

"Jenny called me again last night," Eric told his boyfriend as he ate another spoonful of ice cream.

"Oh yeah?" Elliot prodded him on. "More Nate drama?"

"The only kind," Eric mused, a smile on his lips. "Apparently Nate has been pretty persistent."

"He must like her a lot then," Elliot commented, gazing around at the décor of the ice cream parlor.

Too pink, he noted.

Eric shrugged before he answered, "You never know with Nate. I mean, he seemed so in love with my sister not too long ago."

"True. Has Serena said anything to you about this?" Elliot asked, intrigued by all of this drama.

Eric shook his head.

"I highly doubt that she even knows, although there was this one week where I thought she was a little off," he commented, a blank look in his eyes as he remembered that point in time. "After coming back from her mysterious trip to wherever, she was moping around like she just got dumped or something."

"Maybe she met someone else on that trip and things didn't end well?" Elliot offered, eyebrows raised.

"Probably," Eric agreed. "Besides, _she_ was the one who dumped Nate, so I'm sure she was moping around because of someone else."

There was no answer. Elliot remained still, his eyes directed at someone or _something_ behind Eric.

"Elliot, what are you…?" Eric started as he turned around in his swivel chair.

Good God. _Jonathan._

"Hey Eric," Jonathan started awkwardly, an unsure smile upon his face.

He glanced at Elliot, but said nothing.

"Jonathan, this is Elliot," Eric told him. "He's my…friend."

He had no idea _why_ he had just said that. All he knew was that his stomach was currently in knots.

"Oh cool," Jonathan commented casually, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Elliot gave Eric a look, slightly shocked by his introduction.

"Uh, yeah," he spoke up, reaching out to shake Jonathan's hand. "It's nice to meet you too. I actually have this…_thing_ I have to do, so I'm just going to go. See you around Eric."

Jonathan noticed that he had barely touched his ice cream.

"Elliot, wait!" Eric shouted after him, panic starting to set in. "You don't have to…I…"

"Actually Eric," he interrupted him, his voice leaving no room for argument. "I do."

Eric watched him go. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._ He then turned to Jonathan after a moment.

"Look Jonathan," he started, needing to tell him the truth. "Elliot is actually my…"

"Your boyfriend?" Jonathan finished before he chuckled. "Yeah, I guessed that much. I didn't think you would have moved on that quickly though."

They looked at each other at his statement, their emotions unreadable.

"It's been awhile," Eric retorted, not knowing why he was even defending himself to Jonathan. "And if I recall, _you_ were the one who dumped _me_."

Jonathan opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but changed his mind.

Instead, he nodded and said, "You're absolutely right. It was nice seeing you again and I hope everything works out for you and Elliot. See you around Eric."

He watched him leave, unable to move from where he stood. Did he even want to? What the hell was going on? He would have to call Jenny tonight. They were relying a lot on each other recently. _Drama. Drama. Drama._

_

* * *

__March 2017_

_Drama. Drama. Drama._

That's all there was in her life up until now, but she was ready to make things simple. She was married to Jack. She loved him. He loved her. All she needed to do was to make that clear to Chuck and apologize.

"Are you going to tell me why you wanted to meet up with me?" Chuck asked, his voice cold and bitter. "Because I got the message loud and clear when you told me to get out this morning."

Blair winced at the harsh tone of his voice, although she knew she deserved it.

"Look, Chuck," Blair started, averting his gaze. "I…"

"You're sorry?" he guessed, his jaw still clenched. "Don't give me that bullshit Blair. You're not sorry."

"I _am_!" she insisted before lowering her voice again. "I mean it this time. I'm sorry Chuck…for everything."

He observed her for a moment, contemplating whether she was being serious or not. When he decided she was, he reached over to take her hand in his.

"Then leave him Blair," he told her gently, hopeful when she did not remove her hand from his grasp. "We can go somewhere just you and me. You know. Start over?"

"No," she said moments later, finally getting enough sense to snatch her hand from his.

Unable to control himself, he slammed his hand down on the table, startling not only her, but the other people in the restaurant as well.

"Haven't you punished me enough Blair!" he shouted, letting out all the anger he had built up over time. "What I did was _nothing _compared to what you've done to me since then. I had to watch you walk down the aisle and marry _my uncle_! Damn it!"

"You were…there?" she whispered, her mission starting to become more and more unclear.

_Why didn't you stop the wedding then?_

He looked away for a moment.

_You looked happy._

"Yeah," he answered eventually.

The tone in his voice told her that she wouldn't get anything more out of him even if she asked, so she let it go.

"Chuck, I am _done _torturing you and I do admit that I took this all too far," she told him honestly. "That's why I'm apologizing. I mean it this time, but…"

"But you're staying with him," he finished for her, trying hard to understand her point of view.

"Yes," she responded, a small smile on her cherry lips. "I know you might never believe this, but I _do_ love Jack. I might not love him the way I loved you, but I do."

"Loved," Chuck repeated.

"What?"

"Loved. You said you _loved_ me," he reminded her of what she had said mere seconds ago.

_No, I'll always love you._

"I did," she agreed instead.

Everything was better this way. No more games. They could _both_ move on now.

Chuck opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but changed his mind. Instead, he smiled melancholically, handed several bills to a passing waiter, and got up out of his seat, prepared to leave.

"Chuck, wait…" she managed to say, his back to her.

"I hope everything works out for you and Jack," he interrupted her, turning around and forcing one last smile. "See you around Blair."

She deserved to be happy and he did too. It was time for them to move on.

_I'll always love you._

She watched him leave, unable to move from where she sat. Did she even want to?

No. Her decision - _this_ decision - was final.

_See you around Chuck._


	10. Ten

**A/N:** I think so far I enjoyed writing this chapter the most.

**Ten**

* * *

_May 2017_

"Blair?" Serena asked in concern. "Are you alright? Last time I checked, pregnancy tests don't take this long."

Silence.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Blair!" Serena shouted, banging on the door now. "Unlock the door this instant or I'm going to call Jack at the office!"

Just as the blonde reached for the phone, Blair came out of the bathroom, stick in hand, staring at the pink plus sign that was telling her that she was indeed pregnant.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, almost afraid to break the silence. "I'm pregnant…with a _baby_."

"Well, of course you're pregnant with a baby," Serena mused, laughing, her blonde hair brushing against her shoulders.

She was more relaxed now, seeing that Blair was ok.

"What else would you be pregnant with? Jack is going to be over the moon!"

Silence.

For the first time, Serena took note of the lack of happiness on the part of her best friend.

"B?" Serena questioned, confused. "I thought you would be happy about this. You've always wanted a child. You've always wanted a mini Blair Waldorf running around, remember?"

_Yeah. Or a mini Chuck Bass._

"Of course I do!" Blair responded quickly, hiding her personal concerns over her pregnancy. "I'm just still in shock I guess. I'm _thrilled _S! Really!"

Serena smiled at her newfound excitement. She was so slow sometimes.

"When are you going to tell Jack?" she added as she slipped her phone back into her purse.

"Not until a doctor confirms that I'm actually pregnant," Blair stated reasonably. "These tests can be totally inaccurate."

"True," Serena answered, understanding her point of view. "We wouldn't want to get him all excited and then tell him it was a mistake. That would be horrible."

_No._ What would be horrible would be telling him that _Chuck_ could also be the father. She had never told anyone about that night, not even Serena. She had tried to confess to Jack about the one night stand, but chickened out at the last moment possible. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

Serena continued blabbering on about the possible baby on the way as they headed out the door and hailed a cab to the doctor's office.

Jack _has_ to be the father. Chuck was only a one night stand and they were careful. What are the chances?

"What about the name Camille?"

Serena was now starting to brainstorm baby names, assuming already that the baby was a girl. She barely noticed her best friend's lack of participation in the conversation.

"What about Sarah? Oh wait. No. Too plain. _Oh my gosh!_ Audrey would be perfect! You love Audrey Hepburn!"

Where was Chuck now? She had lost track of him ever since their goodbye at the restaurant. He only really kept in touch with Nate and last she heard he had met some nice girl named Eva. _Eva._ What a plain name. The name Blair has much more of an air of superiority to it.

"I've always liked the name Crystal. What do you think B? Or what about Kelly? Simple. Elegant."

Maybe Chuck's _not_ the father. Maybe she's worrying about all this for nothing. Heck! She might not even really be pregnant. No. She definitely was. The last time mother nature paid her a visit was two months ago. Then again, many women have irregularities in their cycle during their lifetime, right?

"Can her middle name be Serena? It would be _so_ awesome! I'm going to spoil her to bits B!"

Ok. Say she _was_ pregnant and Chuck _was_ the father. Then what? Should she tell him? Should she tell Jack? She would have to. It would be cruel to lead Jack on into thinking the child was his, but then again, maybe not ever knowing would be better. She and Jack would raise the child, regardless and Chuck would continue his new life with Eva. _Eva._ She hated saying her name, even if only in her head. Yes, Jack was definitely the father. He would be the father, either way. There was no use thinking about this anymore. It would be silly of her to keep dwelling on such a _minor_ detail or so she tried to convince herself it was. _A minor detail, Blair. That's all it is._

"We're here!" Serena exclaimed as the cab pulled up to the curb. "Come on!"

Reluctantly, Blair got out of the car. She took a deep breath and then a step forward. _Jack is the father. Jack is the father. Jack is the father._ This was her new mantra.

* * *

_August 2023_

"Jack," she called after him, her voice slightly higher than usual due to her nerves.

Oh God. She came. After five years of waiting, she came.

He turned around to find Blair standing before him, Belle by her side. He had his family back. They would bury the past. They would start fresh - for them, for their daughter.

"Blair," he answered her, walking over to wrap them both into a big hug. "I was ready to give up…I was…I'm sorry for…I never stopped loving…"

"Jack, stop," she interrupted him, the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "_Listen_ to me."

She needed to tell him _now_. Ever since the divorce, she had put all her time and attention into her daughter. Nothing else mattered to her and even when she did have a spare moment, she would throw herself in her work. Eventually though, her heart caught up to her and she started thinking of _him_ again, what things would have been like if she had stopped thinking with her mind for a second and had instead, thought with her heart. She had grown and matured and she knew now what she wanted more than anything or more specifically _who_. Jack would always be the father of her child and she never doubted that he would love her unconditionally, but it was time for her now to be true to _her_ heart, to the one her heart would always belong to.

Jack pulled back from their embrace at her words. He _knew_ that voice. He knew _her_. He needed to make her stay. _Say something!_

"Please Blair," was all he could muster and her sad smile told him all he needed to know.

She could be his forever, but only one person would ever fully possess her heart.

"Jack, you're Belle's father and I want you to be a part of her life. I don't want you sneaking around to see her, giving her presents and then have her tell me Serena gave them to her. I want you to _truly _be a part of her life, but…"

She trailed off, unable to finish her words, although truth be told, there was no need for her to do so.

Jack smiled melancholically and answered, "I know."

"I also want you to know that I really did love you," she continued to speak, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I made a lot of mistakes and I'm not proud of them, but I…"

"Blair?" Jack interrupted her, scooping Belle up in his arms, her letting out a squeal of delight. "Just _go_."

Tears spilled from her eyes as she heard his blessing. The ending would have been the same regardless, but his approval gave her even more courage to do what she was about to do. She gave him another quick hug before kissing her daughter and telling her to listen to daddy.

"I will," Belle replied sweetly, although she had crossed her fingers behind her back (as both her parents expected). "Bye mommy."

"Bye sweetie," she whispered.

And then she ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Belle had a wonderful father. Jack had someone to cherish and to love and she? She was finally ready to claim her happy ending.

Time limit: 50 minutes

Counting down.

49. 48. 47.


	11. Eleven

**A/N:** Any particular missing scenes you might be interested in? Otherwise, the next chapter will be the last, a happy ending for every single character.

**Eleven**

_

* * *

_

_August 2018_

"Did you sleep with him?" Jack repeated, his voice surprisingly calm. "I just want to know the truth Blair. Did you or did you _not_ sleep with my nephew in _our_ bed?"

"Jack, please," Blair started, wanting to explain herself to her husband.

"I don't care how or why it happened," he replied, not in the mood to hear her excuses, too _hurt _to hear her excuses. "Yes or no, Blair?"

She nodded, slowly, hesitantly, afraid of what was to come next. She knew what was coming next though. How could she not?

"I want a divorce," he demanded, his voice final, his head hung low in defeat.

Panic began to fill her heart upon hearing his words. No! He was all she had, him and Belle. They were her _life_ now.

"Please Jack," she pleaded, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "It was _one_ mistake. It never happened again and it never _will_ happen again. You and Belle mean the world to me. Please..."

He turned towards the door then, preparing to leave, but he just had to know one last thing before he walked away from this marriage, and perhaps the only woman he had ever really loved.

"Am I really Belle's father?" he whispered, closing his eyes as he waited for her answer.

With the timing of things, he realized that either Chuck _or_ him could be the father and that thought alone killed him more than anything. Never in a million years had he ever thought he would have the privilege of holding such a precious, beautiful creature in his arms. Belle was eight months old now and she was still the light of his life. He would have done anything her. He probably still would regardless of Blair's answer, but he just _had_ to know.

"I don't know," she answered him honestly, walking over to him now.

"Don't," he stopped her, catching her movements in the corner of his eye.

She paused upon hearing his command, not wanting to upset him anymore than he already was.

"I can even understand why you did it, Blair," he spoke finally after a moment, trying to keep his voice calm, steady. "But to have kept this from me all this time? We have an eight month old child together Blair! She's sleeping in the next room. What did I do to deserve this?"

She could only shake her head, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"Jack," she murmured, making a move towards him again.

"I told you to stay where you are!" he shouted, now unable to control his own emotions. "Don't touch me. I can't even look at you right now!"

He continued to yell at her, forgetting already about their little girl, fast asleep in the next room.

"I loved you so much Blair! I changed my ways to be with you, none of the scheming, none of the taking advantage of people, and this is how you thought you'd repay me?"

"I wanted to tell you right after it happened!" Blair shouted in return, asserting her presence, and her feelings in the room at the same time. "I _did_ Jack! I _tried_, but I just couldn't do it! I _know_ you've been good to me! _I know that!_ I've been trying so hard to forget that night ever happened. I love _you_ now! Why can't you understand that?"

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" he questioned, looking at her now. "To forget that that night ever happened."

Silence.

"Well, I can't," he finally spoke up, lowering his voice, hearing his crying daughter next door. "I _want_ a divorce and I _want_ a paternity test."

"No! Jack, _wait_!" Blair shouted in desperation, grabbing his arm, trying to keep him from leaving. "We can start over. I'll do the DNA test! Belle is _yours_. I'm sure of it! Please! Please don't tear this family apart!"

He almost hesitated then, but proceeded to ask himself, "Would I be able to get past this regardless of the results of the test?" He knew the answer. He would love Belle forever regardless, but he was no longer sure about the woman standing before him. Where had he gone wrong? Where had _they_ gone wrong?

"I didn't tear this family apart, Blair," he finished, ending their conversation. "_You_ did."

And with that, he left the room, slamming the door to their house moments later, leaving them both behind. Blair sunk down to the floor, unable to find the strength to even tend to her crying daughter. She had never imagined, never _expected_ this day to come. Yet, she knew she had no one to blame but herself.

Eventually, she managed to pull herself up off the ground, putting her daughter back to sleep and assuring her, although she would not be able to understand, that everything would be ok. If only she had been able to believe that herself. That night, she did something she hadn't done in awhile. She purged away her guilt and her pain and this time, no one was there to save her, not even Jack.

Little did she know was that _she_ was the only one who would ever be able to _truly_ save herself. It was a lesson she would learn with time, with the help of her daughter, her pride and joy.

* * *

_August 2023_

Chuck checked himself in the mirror, once, twice, his best man standing directly behind him, doing the same. He never thought this day would come. This was _his_ wedding day. He still hadn't completely wrapped his head around the idea, but somehow he had proposed, she had accepted, and so, here they were about to be married to one another. He would be a married man in a little less than an hour. Yet, the thought didn't scare him. Perhaps he was beyond being scared, beyond emotions.

"Chuck, there's still time to..." Nate started, hoping to get through to his best friend.

"Nathaniel, just _stop_," Chuck interrupted him immediately, putting up a hand to silence him. "Your pathetic attempt at an intervention didn't work last night and it's certainly not going to work now."

"You don't love her," Serena added, walking into the room to join them.

She had always had this bad habit of being curious, and eavesdropping.

"Oh lovely," Chuck commented sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Now I get to experience the planet of 'Annoying 1' and 'Annoying 2.' and yes, I'm referring to the two of you. Thank God you didn't end up together. Your children would have been unbearable."

Neither Nate nor Serena had the heart to respond. They were both too determined to stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life, more so than anything else he could have ever done wrong.

"You don't love her," Nate repeated as-a-matter-of-factly. "I _know _you don't."

"You don't know anything Nate!" Chuck shouted, although he tried very hard to keep himself calm, emotionless. "I _care _about her! I wouldn't have dated her, proposed to her, or be marrying her if I didn't!"

"No one's doubting that you…"

"Hey Serena?" Dan interjected, poking his head into the room, essentially cutting Nate off. "Lily wants to speak with you for a moment."

"Yeah, just what this situation needs, a Humphrey," Chuck spat, wanting everyone to just fuck off now.

"Hey!" Serena scolded him defensively before taking Dan's hand to leave. "I'm a Humphrey too now technically."

"Yeah, me too, very soon," Nate agreed, to which everyone turned to look at him.

"Actually, Nate..." Dan corrected him, not knowing if the blonde knew where he had gone wrong with his statement. "...the wife takes on the husband's last name? So, technically, Jenny will be an Archibald soon."

"I was aware of that!" Nate sighed in exasperation. "_You all know what I meant!_"

"Forget what I said earlier," Chuck changed his mind. "God bless the children you and Jenny are going to have."

"Hiding behind snide remarks again, are we?" Nate confronted him, having had enough of this dancing around the subject nonsense. "You haven't changed one bit."

Serena and Dan had long left the room by now, leaving him alone with Chuck once again. Nate became more encouraged to continue when Chuck didn't respond to his retort.

"Look, man," Nate finished, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop him anyway if this was what he really wanted. "It's your wedding day and I don't want to ruin it, but I just want you to make sure this is what you want. Really ask yourself Chuck. Do you _love _her? Not care about her. _Love _her, because if you don't, don't leave another girl heartbroken. Eva deserves to marry someone who is truly, heart and mind, devoted to her. I think we can both agree on that."

"She left me heartbroken too," was all Chuck could whisper then, eyes closed.

He didn't need to tell his best friend he was talking about Blair, all thoughts of Eva gone from his mind.

"Yeah, you're right, but that's how it's always been with you two," the blonde continued. "You both want everything too much. You want _each other_ too much. When the other person does something to hurt the other, you both want revenge _too much_. You both treasure your pride, your _everything _too much. There's never an in between for the two of you. You're either wildly passionate about each other or seek out to destroy each other like no other. You..."

"I get the point Nate," Chuck assured him, shocked at how sure Nate was of what he was saying.

Chuck had never seen his best friend so confident or make so much sense before and he _hated_ it.

"You make a mistake. She makes one. Then, you make one. The cycle is never going to end until someone mans up and breaks it, and since you happen to be the man in the literal sense in this..."

"Nate?" he interrupted him, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Just get out now, would you? I need to…"

"So, is the wedding off?" Nate wondered excitedly, thrilled that he had finally gotten through to his best friend. "Do you want me to…?"

"Get. _Out._"


	12. Twelve

**A/N:** So, this is the last chapter, short and sweet. I would like to thank each and everyone of you for reading this story, reviewing this story, etc. I will never be able to express in words how grateful I am for it all, but thank you, thank you, thank you. I certainly hope this final chapter won't disappoint, and that you'll all follow me on my future endeavours in the Gossip Girl world. Enjoy and please leave me with one last review should you have the time!

**Twelve**

* * *

_August 2023_

"Chuck!" she shouted as she barged through the church doors, out of breath.

Traffic had been terrible and so she had had to run most of the way there. She tried to reach someone, anyone at the wedding, but out of common courtesy, they had all turned off their cell phones for the ceremony. Ultimately, she had been twenty minutes late and as she stood there and took note of the empty church, she knew she had been too late.

The idea that someone besides her had become Mrs. Chuck Bass hurt her more than she could imagine, and she know knew how Chuck must have felt that day watching her walking down the aisle, ready to marry someone else, someone who wasn't him.

She crumpled to the floor, as the tears started to pour down her face. She had never been particularly religious, but she had to ask. Dear God, why? The wedding had probably been beautiful, she realized then, a perfect, fairytale wedding, one that should have been hers. She hoped Chuck would truly be happy with Eva. It was the only thing she could wish for now. Maybe she and Chuck weren't meant to be together after all.

"The worst thing you've ever done," a voice started up from behind her, and she didn't turn around at first, confident that she was imagining it. "The darkest thought you've ever had, I will stand by you through anything."

She stood up then, slowly, cautiously, before turning around, only to find Chuck sitting in the last pew, tears in his eyes too.

"And why would you do that?" Blair whispered, almost unable to believe that he was actually there.

He stood up and walked over to her then, and with every step he took, the more anxious she became, the more real this all felt to her.

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, cupping her face, and answered, "Because I love you."

The tears only kept coming at his words, rendering her speechless. They were tears of joy though, knowing that Chuck had been unable to go through with the wedding himself.

"I couldn't do it Blair," he told her what she already knew. "I couldn't marry someone who wasn't you."

He pulled her in then, holding her close, taking her in. He had missed her so much.

"You're getting my tux all wet," he said finally, when the silence had been a little too long to bear, trying to lighten the mood.

Blair laughed, pulling away from him at last, and said, "So, what now Bass?"

"Well," Chuck started, taking her hand and getting down on his knee, reaching for the ring that was meant to be hers, and hers only. "I think there's only one thing left to do Waldorf."

She smiled, her heart racing at the vision before her. She had always dreamed of this day. It was happening several years later than she had first predicted, but she didn't even care, because more importantly, this day had finally come.

"Will you do me the honour of being my wife?" he asked, as expected.

She grinned.

"Well, I don't know Chuck," she teased him, not failing to notice that the ring in his hand had been his mother's.

"Oh come on Waldorf," he urged, getting off his knees to confront her. "We've been dancing around each other for years. Stop teasing me."

Her face grew serious then as the memories came flooding back to her, all the pain, the hurt.

"Yes," she answered him finally, causing him to pick her up and spin her around. "But you're wrong."

He stopped twirling her around at her words, setting her down on the ground once again.

"Wrong about what?" he wondered, a mix of curiosity and fear swimming in his eyes.

"About this being the only thing left that we have to do," she told him, smiling. "Bass, this is only the beginning."

And he really couldn't argue with that.

* * *

_December 2024_

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

She couldn't believe that this day had finally arrived. She was about to become Mrs. Chuck Bass, and nothing had ever felt more right. Blair glanced around the room then to observe the people who were witnessing this special day. This was how she had dreamed everything would end, or rather begin, with everyone being happy.

Her mother was sitting with Cyrus, a genuine smile on her face with the knowledge that her daughter had finally found true love just like she had. Next to her sat her father and Roman, still as happy together as ever, and beside them, Dorota and Vanya were happier still, as were their two children.

Serena stood by her side, as beautiful as ever. Her husband, Dan, was whispering something into their little girl's ear, causing her to grin, nodding in agreement at whatever her father was telling her. "Why yes, father, Auntie Blair does look especially gorgeous today," Blair could almost hear her say.

Nate stood by his best friend, looking as handsome as ever, looking as anxious as ever. Blair didn't blame him. His wife, Jenny, who was sitting in the front pew, was huge. Anytime now, and their twins would arrive.

Next to her sat Eric and Jonathan, who had reconciled about a year ago. Elliot had been heartbroken by Eric's decision to reunite with his ex, but he had come to understand why. You never forget your first real love, you never really get over them. Luckily, Eric and Elliot were still friends, and that, was truly wonderful to Blair.

And beside them, even still, closest to the aisle, sat two of the most important people in her life, Jack and Belle. He caught her eye then, as did Belle, and the three shared a knowing smile with one another. Belle's reaction to her getting married again was what had worried her the most, but even at such a young age, she seemed to understand that this was the happy ending her mother had been waiting for.

When she had broken the news to her about her engagement to Chuck, Belle had simply been silent for a moment before asking her, "Is he your happily ever after?" She had nodded, unable to say much, too scared to say much. Her daughter said nothing still and merely hugged her, reminding her, "I love you mom." "I love you too sweetie," she had answered, thanking the heavens then for blessing her with such a wonderful daughter, wise beyond her years.

"Blair," a voice hissed suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you going to say 'I do', or are you going to leave me hanging here?"

Chuck looked so genuinely worried over her non-responsiveness that she could have kissed him then and there.

"Sorry," she whispered, before giving him some peace of mind. "I do."

"And do you…" the priest started, only to be interrupted by her soon-to-be husband.

"Yeah, yeah," he answered, wanting to jump ahead. "Can we just skip to the part where I get to kiss my bride now?"

The priest sighed, throwing his hands in the air in frustration, in defeat, and nodded. Why the hell not?

"You may now…"

But they were kissing already, as their closest friends and family broke into a thundering applause. Little did Chuck and Blair know that _they _had all been waiting for this day just as long as they had.

As the bride and groom ran out of the churchf towards their waiting limo, their honoured guests not far behind, Jack found himself unable to move, at a standstill. Watching Blair leave with someone else, be happy with someone else, _should _upset him, _should _anger him he knew, but for some reason, he felt an inexplicable peace in having heard them being pronounced husband and wife.

Blair and Belle's happiness were his number one priority, and he knew that today, his ex-wife had finally ended up with the right Bass. He simply hoped he would find the one he was meant to be with someday.

"Dad," Belle spoke up from beside him, her hand in his. "Do you think I'll find _my _prince charming one day?"

"Of course you will princess," he assured her, before taking on a more serious tone. "But not until you're at least eighteen, got it?"

"Got it," she promised him, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.

"Good," he answered, satisfied with her response. "And you better not be crossing your fingers behind your back. I mean it, Belle Serena Bass."

_Damn it!_ She could never get anything past her father (or her mother for that matter), but secretly, Belle liked it that way. She wouldn't expect anything less. What child of Jack Bass and Blair Waldorf would?


End file.
